10 MILLION

LITTLE BIT SMALLER.

WHO WE ARE

Saving Grace in Uganda is non-profit, faith based organization that seeks to follow Christ’s example in feeding, clothing and discipling the “least of the least” in Northern Uganda. Our main focus is street children who have no one else to care for them. Ugandans and American volunteers, work as a team to rescue orphan children out of street life and provide them with a home, shelter, education, medical care, advocacy, and God’s healing love. Saving Grace Primary School offers a unique educational environment for former street children as well as an outreach to students and families in the surrounding community. Children who had no hope are now thriving and looking forward to a productive future. Whole communities are being changed, as street children who had to steal to eat are becoming contributing members of their church and community.Note: There are no paid staff in the United States.

We aim to provide an environment of love, safety and growth for orphaned and vulnerable street children in northern Uganda by caring for their physical, emotional and educational needs while promoting a life based upon biblical values where they may realize their true worth and identity as intended by God.

There are an estimated three million orphans in Uganda and at least 10,000 of these are street children. Children turn to the streets for a variety of reasons such as parents’ death, physical abuse and poverty. The AIDS epidemic. poverty, and a recent influx of refugees from Sudan and Congo due to increased violence, have contributed to a growing number of street children in Northern Uganda. Some orphans have an adult to advocate for them to get help in orphanages; however, many children have no alternative but to try to survive on the streets. These children lack food, clothing, safety, and have no opportunity for education. They are frequently abused by adults who use them to earn a living. Abduction for child sacrifice, attack by criminal gangs, and mistreatment by local police is common. Lack of adult role models, inability to attend school and the absence of traditional family structure, all lead to strong feelings of hopelessness for street children. The hostility, harassment, rapes, unlawful arrests and imprisonment and the pervasive deprivation they face calls for concerted and urgent action.

Saving Grace in Uganda began in 2007 when Al and Val Bransdorfer were ministering in northern Uganda displaced people camps that were a result of the civil war. They noticed, in the town of Lira, that many children, age 3-15, had no adult to help meet their needs and they were obviously hungry and needed clothes and medical help. Immediately following the murder of one of the children by a bread vendor, Val and Al, with the help of the Kuhn family, opened up the home they were renting to 26 children and a Ugandan man, Fred, who had been helping to establish relationships with the children. Val and Al returned to the states to raise funds and the home became Uncle Fred’s House. Saving Grace Primary School was founded by the Kuhn/Irby Family with Trudy’s Schoolhouse opening in 2012. With financial help of many caring people, SGU Children’s Village now has 15 acres of property with three school buildings and three children’s homes, impacting 300 students and their families. Approximately 40 former street children call SGU Village their home.

100% of YOUR donation goes directly to Uganda! How can we say that? We have a group of dedicated volunteers who serve SGU with their talents, resources and time, making it possible to have no paid staff in the United States. We strive to be good stewards of all God has entrusted us with to care for the street children in Uganda and therefore banking, postage and other administrative costs are kept to a minimum. Our board members fund all of our administrative costs which are less than 3% of our total expenses. We hope others will join us in volunteering to serve or by sharing the mission of SGU with friends and family so that more children can be rescued out of street life.

WHAT WE DO

Children's Village

SGU Children’s Village sits on 15 acres of land and is home to over 40 children who have been rescued from living on the streets of Lira, Uganda. At the village, children live in one of three homes, where they are cared for by a loving housemother We currently have two boys homes and one girls home. This is where the children start to reconnect with family life and the day-to-day routine of chores and schoolwork. At the village you will find a fresh water well, 5 acres of farm land, a soccer field, volleyball area and Saving Grace in Uganda Primary School. For former street children, life at the SGU Children’s Village means a life of security and a place where healing can begin.

Street Children’s Ministry

Saving Grace in Uganda helps children who live on the streets of Northern Uganda . “Uncle Fred’s House” (named for Fred Ojok, once a street child himself and our main liaison with the children) is a light at the end of the street for hundreds of children in need of hope and a way out of street life. As a refuge from the hunger, sickness and trouble that often plague street children, the home provides food, medical attention, baths, clean clothes, and the love of Jesus firsthand. When trouble in the community arises and a street child is killed or imprisoned, the staff at Uncle Fred’s House come to the rescue. This community care is the backbone for the relationship that is built with these street children. Every child is introduced to Jesus Christ and they are discipled to trust God to meet their needs and follow His word.

PRIMARY & PRE-SCHOOL

Saving Grace Primary and Pre-School has students in kindergarten through 7th grade. Former street children, who were a part of Uncle Fred’s House ministry are thriving in their new school where they are valued by teachers who have been especially trained in ministering to street children. Thanks to the leadership and faithfulness of Emmanuel Elwelu our headmaster, the children are seeing the gospel of Christ demonstrated on a daily basis. Emmanuel’s relationship to Christ shows in the way he connects with his staff and the children. He sets the tone of the entire school through his humbleness and fatherly love. Parents are seeing a change in their children and children are sharing Christ with their families. Saving Grace Primary School has become to the community, what Uncle Fred’s House is to the local street children… a beacon of light.

Extended Family

Saving Grace in Uganda’s first priority when rescuing a child from life on the street is to discover what happened to the parents and why the child ended up on the streets. Our goal is to place each child back with relatives to grow up in their own family environment. If extended family can be located, meetings are conducted to determine if they are willing and able to care for the child. The gospel of Jesus Christ is always shared along with counseling to help solve problems and discover needs. If family members are willing to accept the responsibility of caring for the child, Saving Grace may offer to pay for school fees and supplies to ease the financial burden.

Rightful Inheritance

In Uganda, orphan street children are rarely awarded land that has been taken by others after the death of their parents. Saving Grace in Uganda works as the children’s advocate with the goal of regaining the rightful inheritance of their family’s land. Uncle Fred has worked with extended family, village chiefs and local authorities to obtain land ownership for almost all of the boys in our program. When the boys reach maturity they are confident and well equipped to live as sustainable and contributing members of their community on their own land.

PROGRAMS

Agriculture / Husbandry

All children in the SGU program are taught planting and harvesting of crops along with how to care for small animals such as chickens, goats and pigs.

Vocational School

Older children, who do not pursue academics, can choose to attend vocational school for carpentry, mechanics, culinary or tailoring.

Counseling Ministry

All children are involved in an ongoing individualized counseling program with Uncle Fred and our staff social worker.

Village Assistance

Children that have been re-established with family members are visited to insure that they are being cared for properly.

Community Service

All children who live at SGU Children’s village are involved in giving back to their community. The children visit hospital patients, prisons, help rebuild roofs, mentor younger children, entertain others by dancing and singing, lead worship at church services and serve in a variety of other ways under the direction of Uncle Fred.

Purity Program

All children are taught about purity of heart, mind, and body.

AIDS Prevention

AIDS awareness and prevention is taught regularly.

TAKE ACTION

JOIN THE GLOBAL STREET TEAM

We invite you to be a part of impacting the lives of street children in northern Uganda. A child rescued from the streets is a child with a new future, hope and opportunity. Join in what God is doing to care for the “least of the least.”

SHARE

PLEASE SHARE THIS WEBSITE with your friends and family. Share on your blog, Facebook and twitter and encourage others to send it on to others. Share the story of SGU with everyone you know and become a part of growing this movement to care for the world’s most vulnerable children.

CREATE

Help raise awareness and help raise funds to support street children. Host an outside sleep party to identify with the plight of street children. Have an African style dinner party. Host a garage sale to benefit SGU. There are many creative ways to be involved. What are your ideas?

DONATE

Make a commitment to help with one of our causes such as feeding street kids, medical care or paying for school fees. Choose a building from our village plans to build in memory of a loved one. Organize your small group to donate for the current fund raising campaign. Sign up to sponsor a child for a dollar a day.

GO

Join us on a two week summer trip to Northern Uganda and meet Uncle Fred and the children. Spend time playing soccer, handing out food to street children and help them see that they are not forgotten. Learn about the culture and meet some of the most hospitable people on the planet. Enjoy seeing Africa’s most exciting wildlife and come home with the story of a lifetime.